This winter has just been weird. The weather, despite the weather prognosticators claiming a milder winter back in fall, has been colder than usual. Today's snowfall just makes it seems like a second white Christmas here in Tennessee. Now before those of you north of here disparage what I'm saying keep in mind that Tennessee normally only receives 1-2 decent snowfalls and by decent I'm talking more than 1-2 inches. Rarely do we receive repeated and significant snow events, otherwise our Department of Transportation would not be running out of road salt. In the nearly 21 years I've lived here I remember two very large snowfalls: one in March of 1993 (Johnson City, TN) and the other in the winter of 1995-1996 (Cookeville, TN) and those were big ones (2 feet in '93). It's been crazy, the snow is nice, but I think I speak for most (adults - kids seems to be enjoying getting out of school so much) that we're ready to move on! The schools usually let out 2-4 days of school each year and this year my daughter's school system will have been out for 9 after tomorrow. Next week good weather will arrive and maybe the groundhog prognosticator will turn out to have a better grasp on the climate than those well educated weather folks who were thinking milder thoughts.* Although historically our biggest snowfalls happen in March...we could be in for it!

One thing is for sure...the white snow allows for some very nice pictures.

My blue Garden Shed in the snow with cardinal watching over the feeders.

A Towhee flitting about a potted ornamental peach tree.

There's food around here somewhere - he's sure of it!

"Is this really more snow?" says the white-throated sparrow.

"Yep, sure is. When is spring supposed to be here again?"

The pictures were taken about 15 minutes after the snow started here. It piled up fast but seems to be over for now with about 2 inches. I remember snowfalls in Pennsylvania that were much greater when I was a kid but it's not about how much snow per se, it's about how much snow we're supposed to have. And I think we've surpassed our quota...just a little...

* I appreciate the hard work that goes into such an unpredictable field of expertise. The miscalculation of the "mild" winter just shows how hard it really is to predict the weather!